Originally posted on 07/26/2012:
I live about 20 mins away from where they play the Aussie Open! I was on the phone with JJ either last year or the year before from the minute we left my house until we got to Rod Laver and he was like "how are you there already?" haha. It's crazy how great this place is for sport. There is definitely stuff that I could trash about any of the countries I've lived in including Australia but if someone loves sport, gambling and wants to be around the most generous, laid-back and seriously funny people they'll ever meet they won't find a better place to live than here. Oh and it's free health care and the payments and help for the unemployed, parents, low income families, disabled, seniors, carers, etc (no matter how ok our own situation is all of us know at least a few people we care about who would fall under one of those categories) are leaps beyond anywhere else I've lived other than Norway. Plus Australia managed to sail through the GFC with a surplus with less income coming in than any of the 'more important' countries go figure.
It sucks that it costs so much to fly here and have a proper visit for N. Americans. But maybe that's part of why I feel so lucky. I felt the same way when I lived close to Disney World... you'd see those stories of families who had struggled and saved for years to finally bring their kids there and every so often I'd be reminded of that when I was daily driving by a place that was the epitome of dreams coming true for those people even though my friends were taking their kids there like it was a trip to the mall, even if they were flying in. As much as I sometimes wonder what my life would've been like if I just stayed at home, I've been a really lucky person to get the chance to live in all of the countries I have and I know I'm a better parent for it.
If you have about 7 mins to spare and are bored, this is my favourite Aussie sporting moment since living here. My neighbourhood had a block party to watch this and there were thousands gathered in the centre of Melb to watch this on a big screen even though the result was thought to be known. I've seen some wicked sporting stuff in person since being here but I still get goosebumps and cry every time I watch this so it has to be #1
GL with him